How to Teach Your Child to Write an Opinion Paragraph

Welcome back to our series on How to Teach Your Child Paragraph Writing.  We'll be looking at several different types of paragraphs.  So far we have the basic detail paragraph HERE.  That is the best place to start.  The basic structure of an opinion paragraph is somewhat similar to the basic structure of the detail paragraph, so if you've read the previous post you'll be all good to go.

Today though, as we continue, I will show you the formula so that your child can write an opinion paragraph with ease.  There shall be no more crying at writing time.  Both you and your child are going to have amazing success!  

The first thing that we need to do is have the child give us their opinion.  Another word that we can use for opinion is 'think'.  So the child may say, "I think....."   or they could use words like, "I like......" or "I don't like....."

We need them to tell it to us in a sentence.

I.  My Opinion

Now we will begin to build our paragraph.

The next thing you want to do is to ask the child to give you a reason sentence about their opinion.  Continue asking for reasons about the topic until you have 4 or 5 of them.

                                    I.  My Opinion sentence

                                         a. Reason 1

                                         b. Reason 2

                                         c. Reason 3

                                         d. Reason 4

                                         e. Conclusion

Use narration and copywork if your child isn't ready to write from mind to paper yet.  Simply write out their sentences and have them copy it in their best handwriting later on.  

Here's my video on the basic structure of the opinion paragraph:

I'll be adding more short video's about How to Teach Your Child... Narrative, Expository, Compare/Contrast Paragraphs over the next week or so.  All we need to do is change some of the formula and voila, our children can write!

How to Teach Your Child to Write a Paragraph

Oftentimes I find curriculum complicates a very simple and easy process in the teaching of writing.  In many cases it leaves a parent daunted, believing that they cannot teach their child to write, or write well. I am here to tell you that YOU can do this, and you can do it WITHOUT a purchased curriculum too.  I know, because I've done it myself.

Today I want to show you how easy it is to teach your child to write a paragraph.

Essentially what you need to begin with is have a child that can tell you what they think in sentences.  If they can narrate to any length, this whole paragraph walk through will be quite easy.  If not, a little prompt or lead questioning will surprise both you and your child.

Always have the child write on something that they have previously read, heard or know something about.

Firstly, ask the child to give you the main idea of the topic that you want him to write about.

That will be his first sentence.

I.  Main Idea Sentence

The next thing you want to do is to ask the child to give you a detail sentence about the main idea.  Continue asking for detail sentences about the topic until you have 4 or 5 of them.

                                  I.  Main Idea Sentence

                                      a. Detail Sentence      

                                      b. Detail Sentence           

                                      c. Detail Sentence           

                                      d. Detail Sentence      

                                      e. Ending Detail Sentence      

The child can narrate these to you or write them one at a time on their paper as they think of them.  If the child is narrating to you simply write it down and when finished let them copy it in their best handwriting.

Additionally, teach them to indent the beginning of their paragraph and wrap their sentences around as they go.

Here's a little video that I did on this particular topic.

I'll be adding short video's about How to Teach Your Child to Write an Opinion, Narrative, and Expository Paragraphs over the next week.  All we need to do is change some of the formula and voila, our children can write!